1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to document processing, and to compact, desktop document processors for capturing data and images from checks and other financial and payment-related documents. The invention further relates to document processors designed for processing documents at a teller window, and to document processors designed for processing documents at a back counter or a back office.
2. Background Art
The “Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act” or the “Check 21 Act” was enacted by Congress to facilitate check truncation by authorizing substitute checks, to foster innovation in the check collection system without mandating receipt of checks in electronic form, and to improve the overall efficiency of the Nation's payments system. The Check 21 legislation has driven the demand for decentralized check imagers and sorters in financial institutions.
Banks, credit unions, and other institutions may have different internal workflow requirements for check processing operations. In addition, some institutions may have multiple internal workflows. Some institutions process checks at the teller window as the checks are received from the customer, while other institutions process the checks in batches at various intervals. The one-at-a-time check processing at the teller window does not require a check feeder or a multiple-pocket check stacker in the document processor. However, the processing of checks at a back counter or a back office requires a check feeder and a multiple-pocket check stacker due to the larger volume of checks that are processed in these workflows. The back counter device is significantly larger than a typical teller device due to the check feeder and the multiple-pocket stacker.
Counter space at a teller window is typically very limited due to other necessary devices such as computers and printers. Thus, the teller window environment usually is not compatible for a larger back counter type device. In addition, financial institutions are typically not willing to pay for check feeders and multiple-pocket check stackers that may not be necessary in their teller window workflow. In an existing approach to meeting these different internal workflow requirements for check processing operations, two unique apparatus designs are required. One apparatus is designed for the back office workflow, while another apparatus is designed for the teller window workflow.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an improved document processor that is able to better meet different internal workflow requirements for check processing operations.